Gwangmyeong City Opens 'Healing Garden' Built Through Public-Private Partnership

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Yu Je-sung] A garden that realizes ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) values through a public-private partnership has opened in Gwangmyeong City.

The city held a completion ceremony for the 'Healing Garden with Kia' at the entrance of Gurumsan Forest Bathing Area on the afternoon of the 14th.

The newly opened Healing Garden is Gwangmyeong's first public-private cooperative garden, designed as a therapeutic garden that can address both cognitive and mental health for seniors. It spans 350 square meters in the San 141-3 area of Ha-an-dong at the entrance to Gurumsan Forest Bathing Area.

The significance of this project lies in the collaboration between Gwangmyeong City, the Korean Red Cross Gyeonggi Province branch (Chairman Lee Jae-jung), and Kia Autoland Gwangmyeong (Factory Manager Kang Dong-won)—all members of the 'Gwangmyeong ESG Action Team' established to address community issues through public-private cooperation—to improve seniors' mental health issues such as dementia and depression. It demonstrates a model case of ESG collaboration that realizes social and environmental values.

Kia Autoland Gwangmyeong donated 100 million won for the garden development project to the Korean Red Cross, which took charge of the garden construction. Gwangmyeong City provided the land and administrative support to facilitate the smooth implementation of the project.

The garden is composed of three sections: △'Garden of Memories,' a walking space where visitors stroll through seasonal changes; △'Garden of Revived Senses,' a healing space that awakens the five senses through soil, fragrance, and texture; and △'Small Village Garden,' an open resting area that enables communication among neighbors.

In particular, the design reflects the opinions of seniors participating in the Gwangmyeong Dementia Relief Center's dementia prevention program, incorporating emotional empathy by planting Korean native plants and endemic species that help seniors recall childhood memories.

Additionally, the space was designed with careful consideration for seniors' mobility and safety, including gently sloped walkways and widened staircase widths.

Going forward, the city plans to operate horticultural and garden therapy programs for psychological healing, developing the space into a therapeutic community garden that citizens and seniors cultivate together.

Mayor Park Seung-won of Gwangmyeong said, "Community needs, corporate social values, and administrative support have come together to produce meaningful results," and added, "We will continue to discover collaborative ESG initiatives to improve citizens' quality of life."

Chairman Lee Jae-jung said, "I hope this garden built by the public and private sectors becomes more than just a resting place and serves as a healing space that cares for citizens' hearts," and added, "I hope this project will serve as a model case for ESG cooperation and spread widely."

Factory Manager Kang Dong-won said, "Growing together with the local community is Kia's ESG management philosophy," and added, "I hope the Healing Garden becomes a source of comfort for seniors and establishes itself as a healing space enjoyed by all citizens." ·